By JON NAITO, P-I REPORTER

Published 10:00 pm, Monday, November 24, 2008

The candidate selected for the top position at The Seattle Public Library is an experienced executive who currently leads the nation's largest state library.

Susan Hildreth, the state librarian of California, was the unanimous choice of the library's board of trustees to become its new city librarian and chief executive officer, according to a news release Monday.

Marilynne Gardner, chief financial officer and director of administrative services for the library, is serving as interim CEO.

"Susan has the clarity, focus and passion to lead our library into this exciting new chapter," Eric Liu, library board president, said in a statement. "She's got deep experience, great ideas and a capacity to listen and learn. From a strong pool of finalists, Susan emerged as the clear choice."

Hildreth has spent the past four years at the helm of California's library system. Previously, she served as deputy director and city librarian for the San Francisco Public Library.